Method of and arrangement for automatically controlling the release operation in a marshalling yard



y 1, 1964 E. GARBERS 7 3,141,420

METHOD OF AND ARRANGEMENT FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE RELEASEOPERATION IN A MARSHALLING YARD Filed Oct. 15, 1962 Ernst 6412198725United States Patent 3,141,420 METHOD OF AND ARRANGEMENT FQR AUTU-MATICALLY CONTROLLING TIE RELEASE (BPERATHGN IN A MARSHALLING YARD ErnstGathers, 8 Walderseestrasse, Hamburg- Othmarschen, Germany Filed Oct.15, 1962, Ser. No. 230,557 Claims priority, application Germany Jan. 5,1962 8 Claims. ((Il. 1tl426) This invention rel-ates to a method of andan arrangement for automatically controlling the release operation in amarshalling yard using driven endless cables moving to and fro adjacentthe two rails of each track.

In flat railroad stations the cars of railroad trains to be disassembledare moved by shunting locomotives from the incoming tracks over a hump,then distributed in the following switch zone over classification tracksand collected there. The hump has two functions. It is intended firstlyto guarantee that the range of movement of the cars extends up to theclassification tracks and secondly to provide such distances between thecars released that the switches can be re-adjusted. The first functiondetermines the height of the hump and the second one the sectional shapeof the hump.

The hump has considerable disadvantages. Its height is so dimensionedthat poorly running cars in low temperatures and with a head wind movefar enough on to the classification tracks. This means that the wellrunning cars must be braked at normal temperature. This is notsatisfactory both in technical and economical respect.

The pushing-oif of the cars over the hump is uneconomical and expensivebecause the frictional weight and the starting energy of the shuntinglocomotive must be such that even the heaviest trains on the rampleading to the hump can be accelerated. The large Weight and the greatstarting power are, however, required for a short time only since theweight of the train becomes gradually smaller during the course of thepushing-off operation. After a train has been pushed olf the hump, theshunting locomotive must travel back on the incoming tracks and beplaced behind the next train so as to push it forward as far as thehump. The time required for pushing off a train is the same as thatwhich is necessary for driving the locomotive back behind the next trainand for pushing the train forward. The hump is thus utilized for onlyhalf the time. This want of economy can be avoided by working with twoshunting locomotives, in which case the costs for pushing-off double.

Also known are inclined railroad stations having incoming tracks fromwhich the trains to be disassembled are automatically released. Thetrains released is held by a retarder which controls the release of theindividual cars. On inclined railroad stations one train can be releasedafter the other without intervals. But these stations are expensive asto their installation and in operation.

Keeping distances between the cars requires efiicient marshalling yardswith short time intervals between the successive cars (eg, 7 sec.)corresponding to a high speed of pushing oif (e.g. 1.4 m./sec.), highspeeds of the cars in the switch zone because the different travel timescaused by the different travelling capabilities of the cars become theless effective the higher the speeds of travel and the shorter the pathsof travel. The regulation of the distances which is necessary in spitethereof requires heavy and expensive retarders in view of the highspeeds of travel. This applies particularly when the release operationis automatically controlled because in the case of the knownautomatically operating collecting methods it is worked with low speedsof about 1 m./sec.

in the classification tracks and the high speeds must be reduced beforethe classification tracks.

In order to automatically control the release operation, the presentinvention eliminates the hump and the expensive shunting locomotives andretarders, putting in place thereof an industry-like conveyor-linestarting from the incoming tracks, by means of which both completetrains and individual cars can be conveyed in timed sequence and thecars separated from each other to such an extent that a sufiicientdistance is provided for re-adjusting the distributing switches.

It is possible to eliminate the shunting locomotive in inclined railroadstations having tracks arranged at such an incline that the automaticstart of run of a railroad train is ensured, using brakes. The economicinstallation of inclined railroad stations is subject to a predeterminedgradient of the ground.

To eliminate the retarders it is old to use for individual cars andgroups of cars accelerating drives, chain haulage systems and shuntingdevices for humps in which either rollers engage behind the axles of thecars to be accelerated or arms adapted to be raised engage behind abuffer or a wheel of such a car. The final velocity produced is notconstant and there is no assurance that they are in continuousengagement.

Also known is an arrangement for mechanizing the work intrain-assembling tracks which consists of trolleys with four wheelscapable of travelling between the feet and heads of a rail and a guiderail and carrying arms which can be raised by spring tension. Thetrolleys can be coupled to a driven cable through contacts operated bythe railroad car to be transported. The raisable arms engage behind thewheel rim of the car and transport the car through sections of thetrack.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the deficienciesinherent in the known arrangements and to expand only those forcesrequired and not to generate unnecessary energies and dissipate themagain so that the trains can be pushed olf Without shunting locomotivesand without hump, and sufficient distances can be provided between theindividual cars for re-adjusting the switches.

This object is achieved according to the invention by providing a methodof automatically controlling the release operation in a marshallingyard, and an arrangement for carrying out said method, which methodcomprises the steps of bringing a railroad train to be disassembled intoa medium incline corresponding to half the difference of the greatestand lowest possible resistance value of the cars of the entire train sothat the train is in labile balanced condition, putting the train intomotion by external, controllable, small forces and optionally retardingit again, and subsequently accelerating individual or groups of cars attime intervals by further externally acting and controllable forces andoptionally retarding them thereby to provide distances between the carsrequired for re-adjusting distributing switches.

The arrangement for carrying out said method comprises a number ofincoming tracks arranged at an incline of equilibrium to cause railroadtrains standing thereon to be in labile balanced condition, a stationaryautomatically operating pushing-off equipment substituting for ashunting locomotive and arranged at the end of each of said incomingtracks for continuously supplying externally acting, controllable, smallforces to the cars of the trains, said pushingcif equipment serving foracceleration and retardation and being arranged to produce and maintaina predetermined final velocity, classification tracks, a connectingtrack between said incoming tracks and said classification tracks, and astationary automatically operating accelerator substituting for a humpfor separating the railroad cars and arranged in said connecting track,said accelerator being continuously in 1.3 engagement with a car beingclassified and serving for acceleration and retardation of the carsbeing classified and being arranged to produce a predetermined finalvelocity independent of the weight of the cars and serving to providesuflicient distances between the indiw'dual cars for the purpose ofre-adjusting distributing switches.

Preferably, the pushing oif equipment which may also be used asaccelerator comprises two pairs of trolleys having four wheels, armscarried by the trolleys and raisable by spring tension to engagesimilarly constructed parts of all railroad cars, guide rails forcontrolling the arms, further guide rails associated one with each ofthe two rails of the incoming tracks, the trolleys being arranged totravel between the feet and heads of the rails of the tracks and theassociated guide rails, an endless cable which is arranged to movebetween one rail of the tracks and its associated guide rail and backbetween the other rail of the tnacks and its associated guide rail andto which the trolleys are firmly connected, and an electric drive forthe cable, one pair of the trolleys being associated with one rail ofthe tracks at the beginning of the associated guide rail and the otherpair of the trolleys with the other rail of the tracks at the end of theassociated guide rail so that one pair of the trolleys is prepared forengagement at any time and can engage with its raisable arms a car wheelpositioned between the individual trolleys of the one pair of trolleys.

The car wheel may be accelerated by the pair of trolleys engaging itwith its arms with the electric cable drive acting as a drive means.

The car wheel may be retarded by the pair of trolleys engaging it withits arms with the electric cable drive acting as a generator brake.

According to an important feature of the invention, the pushing-offequipment may be used for locking the train in balanced condition bypreventing a car wheel which is positioned between the raised arms ofone pair of the trolleys from unintentionally starting, a brakeconnected to the cable drive motor being set in currentless condition.

Instead of a pair of trolleys consisting of two trolleys, one trolleywith two raisable armsmay be provided.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way ofexample and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is schematic top plan view of an arrangement according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side View of one pair of the trolleys with a carwheel positioned between the trolleys;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section through the guide for the trolleys;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic top plan view of a track provided withthe pushing-off equipment.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the automatically controlled releaseoperation. A number of incoming tracks 23 are arranged at a mediumincline corresponding to half the difference of the greatest andsmallest possible resistance value of the cars of a railroad train, forexample 4.5% so that the train being on the incoming track is inbalanced condition. At the end of each incoming track 23 there isarranged an automatically operating stationary pushing-off equipment 25which, in operation, is continuously in engagement with a car beingclassified and serves for acceleration and retardation of that car andis arranged to produce and maintain a predetermined final velocity ofthe car. As the pushing-off equipment 25 is only capable of pushinguntil the last car has left it, a further stationary pushing-ofiequipment 26 which takes charge of conveying the last part of the trainis arranged in a connecting track 29 between switches 24 of the incomingtracks 23 and classification tnacks 30.

Behind the pushing-off equipment 26 there is an electric brake 27 whichhas the function of blocking briefly the running cars to facilitate theuncoupling. An automatically operating stationary accelerator 28 which,in operation, is continuously in engagement with a car and serves forits acceleration and retardation and is arranged to produce apredetermined final velocity of the cars independent of their weight isarranged behind the brake 27 and intended to provide sufficientdistances between the cars for the purpose of readjusting the switches.

Each pushing-off equipment 25' which may also be used as accelerator 28has, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, an endless cable 1 arranged to circulatein a length of between approximately 30 and feet between a rail 2 and anassociated guide rail 3 and between another rail 4 and an associatedguide rail 5. Associated in pairs with the two nails 2 and 4 aretrolleys 7 and 9 firmly connected to the run 1 of the endless cable andtrolleys 18 and 2t firmly connected to the run 1 of the endless cable,respectively. These trolleys consist of frames with four wheels, whichare arranged to travel between the feet and the heads of the rails 2 to5 and carry arms 8 and 10, re spectively, raisable by the tension ofsprings 34 and 35 and adapted to engage similarly constructed parts ofall nailroad cars, for example a car wheel 11, and an axle beaninghousing or the like. Raising and depressing as well as locking andunlocking of the arms 8 and 10 is controlled in a known manner bystationary guide rails 6. Every two of the trolleys form a co-operatingpair of trolleys. Each pair consists of the trolley 7 or 18 acting withthe arm 8 as a pressure trolley and of the trolley 9 or 20 acting withthe arm 10 as a braking trolley. The fixed distance between the twotrolleys of a pair is so dimensioned that the car wheel 11 positionedbetween the trolleys is seized by the raisable arms 8 and 10 whichengage with rollers 32 the front and rear part, respectively, of the rim12 of the car wheel and can accelerate or retard the car wheel. The twotrolleys 7, 9 and 18, 20, respectively, may be combined into one trolleyby means of a suitable frame.

The cable 1 is driven by an electric motor 13 (FIG. 5) of variable speedand reversible direction of rotation which transmits its power to acable drive pulley 14 through a coupling, brake, and gear not shown. Ifthe electric motor 13 is supplied with current, the brake 36 iselectrically released, and in the currentless condition the brake 36 isset. The initial tension required for the cable 1 is produced by aself-adjusting tensioning device 15. If the speed of the electric motor13 corresponding to the cable speed and thus to the speed ofpushing-off, e.g., about 4.5 feet/sec. is exceeded, the electric motoroperates as a generator which is driven through the arm 10 of thetrolley 9 acting as braking trolley. The electric motor 13 can beswitched to two output stage, i.e. the full output and an output of 10%.The output of10% is sufficient to drag the cable 1 under initial tensionwith the trolleys 7 and 9 without any power being delivered or taken upby the arms 8 and 10. In the second half of the pushing-off equipmentthere are arranged at a distance of about 40 feet apart, i.e. thelargest occurring distance between the axles of a car, two known sensingmagnets 21 and 22. When the same number of axles has passed over the twocontacts of the sensing magnets, i.e. when the last car of a railroadtrain has passed the pushing-off equipment, the electric motor 13 isswitched ofl? by end contacts 19.

The arrangement operates as follows:

A railroad train runs in on an incoming track 23 and comes to astandstill with its first axles on the pushingoff equipment 25 arrangedat the end of each incoming track. The electric motor 13 is switched infrom a signal box (not shown) to operate with its output of 10% and thecable 1 is put into motion. Thereby the trolleys 7 and 9 are moved inthe direction of arrow 34 (FIGS. 2 and 4) out of the region of the guiderail 6. The arm 10 of the trolley 9 and the arm 8 of the trolley 7 areraised by spring tension. When the arm 10 abuts against a stopping-carwheel 11 it is depressed and raised again after it has passed under thecar wheel 11. Immediately thereafter the arm 8 of the trolley 7 abutsagainst the same car wheel 11 and tends to 'push it forward. Thereby anoverload relay of the electric motor 13 is released, whichis operatedwhen the output of is exceeded, and a brake 36 is-switched in. Therailroad train is locked through the wheel set and prevented frommoving.

As soon as the train is prepared for release, the electric motor 13 isswitched to its full output from the signal box. The train being inbalanced condition is accelerated to about 4.5 feet/sec. If the trainruns faster, it is braked through the arm 10 of the trolley 9. Theelectric motor 13 is then driven and operates as generator. Shortlybefore the end of its path of travel the trolley 9 actuates a contact 16(FIGS. 2 and 5 which is arranged adjacent the rail 2 and the rail 4,whereby the electric motor 13 is switched back to its output of 10%.Power is neither delivered nor taken up by the arms 8 and 10. In thiscondition a control lever 17 of the trolley 9 passes under the guiderail 6 with the result that the arm 10 is depressed into its inoperativeposition. Immediately thereafter a control lever 17a of the trolley 7passes under the guide rail 6 whereby the arm 8 is depressed into itsinoperative position.

During the operation of the first pair of trolleys 7 and 9 the secondpair of trolleys 18 and 20 has, due to its firm connection to the cable1, travelled back idling to the beginning of the pushing-off equipment.As soon as both pairs of trolleys are positioned under the guide rails 6at the beginning and at the end of the pushingotf equipment and thetrolley 9 has operated the end contact 19 arranged adjacent the rail 2and the guide rail 4, the direction of movement of the endless cable 1is reversed by the electric motor 13. Now the trolleys 18 and 20 operatein the manner described above, whereas the trolleys 7 and 9 travel backidling.

There are two possibilities of the arms 8 and 10 engaging the rim 12 ofthe rolling car wheel. Either the railroad train runs at a lower speedthan the cable 1, in which case the arm 10 passes under the first carwheel 11 and after it has been raised again engages the front part ofthe rim of the wheel, whereas the arm 8 engages the rear part of the rimand begins to push the wheel forward. Or the train runs faster than thecable, in which case the first car wheel depresses the arm 8, thenpasses over it and abuts against the arm 10 by which it is braked.

If the pushing-off equipment is used as an accelerator, the sensingmagnets 21 and 22 are omitted. The end contacts 19 not only change overthe direction of movement of the cable 1 but also disengage the couplingbetween the electric motor and the cable drive pulley. The re-engagementis effected by a rail contact 31 (FIG. 5) arranged adjacent the rail 2and operable by the wheel rim of the car to be accelerated. The electricmotor 13 is switched oif automatically if no further car follows, e.g.after 30 seconds have elapsed, i.e. after the last car of a railroadtrain has been pushed off.

This ensures that the railroad train is automatically pushed off at aconstant speed by the pushing-off equipments 25 and 26 which arecontinuously in engagement and thus have control over the train at anytime. The accelerator 28 operates automatically and separates the carsof the train to such an extent as is required for re-adjusting thedistributing switches.

I claim:

1. The method of automatically controlling the disassembling andclassification of railroad cars in a marshalling yeard in which theincoming tracks are inclined downwardly in the direction of theclassification tracks at an angle such that the car in average operatingcondition is barely stable thereon and in which each incoming track hasassociated with it a first accelerator positioned at a first fixed tracklocation, said "method comprising the steps of bringing a railroad trainto be disassembled onto said inclined tracks so that said train is inliable balanced condition, the tracks being inclined at such an=anglethat the average car in any train when placed on said track has itsfriction substantially balanced by the force of gravity acting thereonand is in labile balanced condition, automatically placing said train inmotion by the continuous application by said first accelerator of firstexternal controllable forces only of sufiicient amplitude to upset thebalanced condition of the cars of said train to accelerate and to retardsaid train as required to maintain the train in motion at the desiredspeed, separating the individual cars of said train, and subsequentlyautomatically applying by a second accelerator positioned at a secondfixed track location second controllable external forces to saidseparate cars at spaced intervals of time to provide adequate distancesbetween separated cars for the operation and re-adjusting ofdistributing switches.

2. An arrangement for automatically controlling the disassembly andclassification of a railroad train in a marshalling yard, saidarrangement comprising a plurality of incoming tracks, a plurality ofclassification tracks, a connecting track connecting said plurality ofincoming tracks With said plurality of classification tracks, saidincoming tracks being inclined downwardly toward said classificationtracks at an angle suificient that the forward component ofgravitational force on the average car in average condition issufficiently large to substantially balance the friction of that car sothat a train stationed on said incoming tracks is in labile balancedcondition, an automatically operating pushingolf equipment substitutingfor a shunting locomotive and arranged at the head of each track of saidplurality of incoming tracks, said automatic pushing-off equipment beingarranged to apply to a train situated on any of said incoming trackscontrollable external forces only of sufficient amplitude to upset thebalanced condition of the cars of the train to accelerate and retard thetrain as required to maintain forward motion of said train withinprescribed limits of velocity, and an automatically operating accelertorsituated at said connecting track to substitute for a hump, saidaccelerator operating continuously to accelerate any car placed ontosaid connecting track to a prescribed velocity, said acceleratoraccelerating and retarding said car when necessary to attain saidvelocity and to ensure proper spacing between adjacent cars to permittime for the classification switches to be re-adjusted.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pushing-offequipment which may also be used as an accelerator comprises two pairsof trolleys having four wheels, arms carried by the trolleys andraisable by spring tension to engage similarly constructed parts of allrailroad cars, first guide rails for controlling the arms, second guiderails associated one with each of the two rails of the incoming tracks,the trolleys being arranged to travel between the feet and heads of therails of the tracks and the associated second guide rails, an endlesscable which is arranged to move forth between one rail of the tracks andits associated second guide rail and back between the other rail of thetracks and its associated second guide rail and to which the trolleysare firmly connected, and an electric drive for the cable, one pair ofthe trolleys being associated with one rail of the tracks at thebeginning of the associated second guide rail and the other pair of thetrolleys with the other rail of the tracks at the end of the associatedsecond guide rail so that one pair of the trolleys is prepared forengagement at any time and can engage with its raisable arms a car wheelpositioned between the individual trolleys of the one pair of trolleys.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the car wheel can beaccelerated by the pair of trolleys engaging it with its arms with theelectric cable drive acting as a motor.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the car wheel can beretarded by the pair of trolleys engaging it with its arms with theelectric cable drive acting as a generator.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein a brake is connectedwith the cable drive and the car wheel positioned between the raisedarms of one pair of the trolleys is lockable when the brake is set andthe motor is not energized thereby to prevent an unintentional start ofrun of the train.

7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 6 further including means forconnecting together the two trolleys of each pair of trolleys to form asingle trolley of each pair, each single trolley having only a singlepair of arms.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein said accelerator andsaid pushing-off equipment are built up on the normal permanent bed andarranged outside the confines of the railroad cars so that the tracksequipped with the arrangement are free for unobstructed travel bylocomotives and cars after the cable drive has been switched off.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,206,493 Wulferding Nov. 28, 1916 1,484,086 Rutherford Feb. 19, 19242,134,440 Dumont Oct. 25, 1938 2,199,470 Taylor May 7, 1940 2,642,006Merritt et al June 16, 1953 2,660,127 Boyko et al Nov. 24, 19532,767,662 Howard et a1. Oct. 23, 1956 2,907,476 Cronk et al. Oct. 6,1959 3,044,418 Beers July 17, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 628,500 Great BritainAug. 30, 1949

1. THE METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE DISASSEMBLING ANDCLASSIFICATION OF RAILROAD CARS IN A MARSHALLING YEARD IN WHICH THEINCOMING TRACKS ARE INCLINED DOWNWARDLY IN THE DIRECTION OF THECLASSIFICATION TRACKS AT AN ANGLE SUCH THAT THE CAR IN AVERAGE OPERATINGCONDITION IS BARELY STABLE THEREON AND IN WHICH EACH INCOMING TRACK HASASSOCIATED WITH IT A FIRST ACCELERATOR POSITIONED AT A FIRST FIXED TRACKLOCATION, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF BRINGING A RAILROAD TRAINTO BE DISASSEMBLED ONTO SAID INCLINED TRACKS SO THAT SAID TRAIN IS INLIABLE BALANCED CONDITION, THE TRACKS BEING INCLINED AT SUCH AN ANGLETHAT THE AVERAGE CAR IN ANY TRAIN WHEN PLACED ON SAID TRACK HAS ITSFRICTION SUBSTANTIALLY BALANCED BY THE FORCE OF GRAVITY ACTING THEREONAND IS IN LABILE BALANCED CONDITION, AUTOMATICALLY PLACING SAID TRAIN INMOTION BY THE CONTINUOUS APPLICATION BY SAID FIRST ACCELERATOR OF FIRSTEXTERNAL CONTROLLABLE FORCES ONLY OF SUFFICIENT AMPLITUDE TO UPSET THEBALANCED CONDITION OF THE CARS OF SAID TRAIN TO ACCELERATE AND TO RETARDSAID TRAIN AS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE TRAIN IN MOTION AT THE DESIREDSPEED, SEPARATING THE INDIVIDUAL CARS OF SAID TRAIN, AND SUBSEQUENTLYAUTOMATICALLY APPLYING BY A SECOND ACCELERATOR POSITIONED AT A SECONDFIXED TRACK LOCATION SECOND CONTROLLABLE EXTERNAL FORCES TO SAIDSEPARATE CARS AT SPACED INTERVALS OF TIME TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE DISTANCESBETWEEN SEPARATED CARS FOR THE OPERATION AND RE-ADJUSTING OFDISTRIBUTING SWITCHES.